Good customer reviews above all else?
It’s very tempting to pursue potential good reviews above all others. Aside from the blow to the ego, bad reviews can cost you stars; anything less than perfect detracts from that five-star dream and the host of benefits, from SERP (Search Engine Ranking Page) positions through to organic traffic and conversions. When put like this, why would an ambitious business owner with SEO in mind want to run the risk of negative reviews? If a company does chose to take a selective approach to reviews, how can it guarantee good reviews? For those operating a small store in person, for instance, this may be a lot easier. Having face to face interaction enables you to assess and influence the customer’s experience personally, and judge whether they are happy or have any complaints at the time.But should businesses do it, and at what cost?
The question is not whether or not it can be done, or whether or not it can be effective; it is actually around whether businesses should do it, regardless. It’s not necessarily complicated to execute and it will gain you Google stars far more quickly, and deliver the online benefits. But what about when a customer relies upon the reviews and finds that their own experience pales in comparison? Or when they then leave a lower-star review and notice that it doesn’t appear online, like all the other shining ones? Suddenly, the safe strategy looks a lot riskier.[rb_inline_related]
The purpose of reviews, from the consumer perspective, is to understand more about the business; to find out if is worthy of trust. If the business is looking to deceive or trick people at this stage, for its own benefit, consumers will quickly catch on and will be affronted – and react accordingly, by taking their business elsewhere and no doubt making sure they spread the word as far as they can.Share this story